Welcome To
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Abu Dhabi Saracens Ladies
About us…
Few who come to try rugby for the first time every stay away! The ladies are competitive and an extremely large part of what makes Saracens rugby club the successful and welcoming club we are!
What a season our ladies’ team had! From resting easy in the bottom half of the league at the end of the 2018/2019 season, we have climbed up and are now contenders against any team in the gulf. After winning the tournament at Zayed Sports City, we competed in our first A-league tournament hosted at our home ground, Al Ghazal. It was a proud day for all of us, and although we didn’t win, we still played with our heads held high and with true Sarries spirit.
Onto the Dubai 7s in November 2019 and for the first time, we made it to the quarter finals to compete for the trophy. We might be biased, but we think we gave the overall winners (Dubai Hurricanes) their best competition that whole weekend! A few injuries from Dubai 7s halted our progress as the season went on and unfortunately, we never got to play in the end of season finals.
Our outgoing captain, Michelle Moyles, has truly built this team to what it is today and we will miss her fighting talk and passion for the game, but our girls now have everything in place to continue to grow from strength to strength.
We are so proud of how far the girls’ team has progressed over the past few years, with only a handful of girls training to now having a full squad with players to spare! We are excited for the new season to begin.
Training schedule…
*WE ARE CURRENTLY OFF SEASON*
Throughout the season we train twice a week at our home ground, Al Ghazal.
MONDAY = 7pm – 8.30pm
WEDNESDAY = 7pm – 8.30pm
Our training focuses on keeping our fitness levels up and getting game ready for our tournaments throughout the year.
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MEET THE COACH…
Luca Menè
Italian born and raised Luca, head coach of the Saracens Ladies Team, comes from a strong rugby background. His grandfather was chairman of Rieti’s Rugby Club, whilst his uncle, brothers and all of his cousins played for the city’s team.
Luca’s love for rugby sparked at the tender age of 4, when he was finally allowed to join his cousin and uncle for friendly games in the garden. His love for the game grew, and he finally joined the city’s rugby club when he was 14.
Since then Luca played more than 20 consecutive seasons for Rieti Rugby Club, Italian Serie B division. Luca’s dedication to his home team is phenomenal, as he, even after moving to Rome for University, commuted three times a week to Rieti (100 km) in order to continue representing his city’s jersey.
In December 2013, Luca packed his bags and started a new life here in Abu Dhabi. It took him only two months to find his passion again, and he joined the Saracens who became his new family in the UAE.
As a Saracen, Luca was a member of the team that won the West Asia Gulf Title in 2015. That final in Doha represents one of the best memories of his rugby career.
Only a year after, Luca suffered a severe knee injury that resulted in a full year off the pitch and the stopping of all sporting activities. As he slowly started to feel better, he knew he wanted to come back to the pitch as soon as possible. It was a heartfelt ‘YES’ when he was asked to take care of the ladies team that was being rebuilt in the spring of 2017.
Last year, Luca completed his second full season as coach, achieving the highest results ever in the Saracens ladies team history, reaching the quarter finals of Dubai 7’s and qualifying for an A-league tournament.